Pipe-handling apparatus for derricks



March 18,, 1930. c. M. GIDLEY 1,750,798

I PIPE HANDLING APPARATUS FOR DERRICKS Filed April 2a, 1928 2Sheets-Sheet; 2

u g v. 7 00 Patented Mar. 18, 1930 UNI ED STATES COLUMBUS MONROE GIDLEY,OF CORSICANA, TEXAS- P-IIPE-HANDLING APPARATUS FOR DERBICKS Applicationfiled April 28,

This invention relates to pipe handling apparatus for derricks and moreparticularly to a means for assisting in handling long lengths of drillpipe or tubing which, as they are drawn from the well, are stacked, inthe interior of the derrick.

An important object of the invention is'to provide means forautomatically directing the upper ends of such pipe'sect-ions into therack provided for their reception at the fourble board of the derrick,thus eliminating the necessity for an operator at the fourble board,particularly when such -mechanism is employed in combination with anelevatorsuch as disclosed inmy pending application, Serial No. 268,231,filed April 7, 1928, for elevators.

, A further and more specific'object ofthe invention is to provide meansadjacent the upper endof the derrick for engaging the 2 upper ends ofsuch pipesections and causing them to swing transversely of the derrickto engage in the rack provided for their reception.

A further and more specific object of the invention is to provide ameans of this character for which the operatingpower is derived from thepipe section.

These and other objects I attain by the construction shown in theaccompanying drawings, wherein for the purpose of illustration is showna preferred embodiment of my invention and wherein v I Figure 1 is aside elevation partially broken away of a derrick embodying pipehandling mechanism constructed in accordance with my invention;

Figure 2 is a section on the line 2--2 of Figure 1;

' Figure 3 is a detail view showing the man- 'ne'r of landing the pipeon the platform;

Figure 4 is a sectional view at right angles to the view of Figure 3.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings, the numeral 10generally designates the derrick floor, 11 the derrick structure proper,12 the fourble board disposed adjacent the top of the derrick and 13 thederrick girts. In accordance with my invention, I provide at one cornerof the derrick and at the-iourble board arack,'-generally 1928. SerialNo. 273,725.

designated at 14. This rack includes a suit; ably braced horizontal arm15 .1 projecting transversely of the derrick to one side of the centerthereof and supported from the'fourble board. To this arm adjacent itsinner end is connected the outer end of a rack element- 16, the oppositeend of which extends to the approximate corner of the derrick and formsthe outer wall of the rack 14. The fourble board has secured thereto anangle iron frame 17 forming a wal for the rack opposing the arm 15.. Tothis angle iron are pivota lly secured a plurality of separator arms 18,the inner'ends of which are adapted to rest upon the arm 15.

These separator arms parallel the angular wall 16 and are controllablefrom the base of the derrick through pulley lines '19. To a girt l3spaced about eight feet below the fourble board and at the opposite sideof the derrick but at the same side of the center of the derrick, Ipivot an arm 20, whichis of a length to extend slightly beyond thecenter of the derrick and having its outer end hooked, as indicated at21. Upon the girts at opposite sides of th s arm, I mount pulleys 23 and24.. A flexible element 25 having secured thereto a counterweight 26 ispassed through the pulley 23 secured to the arm 2-1 adjacent its outerend, then passed through the pulley 24 and finally led to the lower endof the derrick, preferablyextending in its passage over a third pulley27 located upon a girt 13 above or below the level. of the arm. Thelower end of this flexible element is provided with a hook 28 to engagein the lower end of a string. I

Upon the floor of the derrick, I provide a landing platform 29 which ispreferably longitudinally grooved, as indicated at 30. This platform isarranged upon the fioor of the derrick at the same side of the center ofthe derrick as the rack 14 and arm 20 but is spaced from the derrickside to which the arm 15 of the rack is secured, so that the pipeshaving their lower ends upon this platform and their upper ends inengagement with the rack 14 will be disposed at an incline.

In removing pipe from a well, three or four sections of the pipe arewithdrawn at a time maining pipe and are then lowered until their basesrest upon the platform. In employing my invention before the p1pe 1Slowered to the platform, thehook 28 is engaged with the lower endthereof. i J

Therefore, as the pipe is lowered, the arm 20 will be swung-horizontallyof the upper end of the derrick, engaging the upper end of the pipe anddirecting the same into the rack 14:. In landing the pipe upon theplatform, care is taken that the hook aligns wlth one of the grooves sothat the hook may be removed to permit the arm to swing back intoposition through its counterweight.

This arm can be disposed at any particular.

level but is preferably arranged at a lower level than the fourble boardso that it will not interfere with the operation of an elevator such asdescribed in the co-pending application hereinbefore mentioned. Such anelevator is constructed to move upwardly or downwardly upon the pipe toassume either a grasping position at' the upper end of the pipe afterbeing set about the pipe from the floor or to permit the elevator tomove downwardlv to the floor, so that it is accessible to a workman. Asin landing the pipe in the rack once it is started into the rack,the'support afforded by the elevator is released and rapidly slackedaway, positioning the arm at a point spaced below the fourble boardallows time for this arm to swing out of the path of the elevator duringits return trip down the pipe.

The construction recited is of further benefit in connection with suchan elevator in that a casing carrier may be engaged with the pipe toshift the same upon the platform to a point where it may be convenientlyengaged by the elevator.

' Since the construction hereinbefore set forth 'is capable-of a certainrange of change and modification without materially departing-from thespirit of the invention, I. do not limit myself to such specificstructure except as hereinafter claimed.

1. In racking apparatus for racking pipe in oil well derricks, aplatform upon the derrick floor for the reception of the lower end ofthe pipe, a rack at -the upper-end of the derrick for the reception ofthe upper end of the pipe, a horizontally swinging arm adjacent theupper end 'of the derrick, and means for connecting said arm with thelower end of a pipe section to cause said arm I same into said to behorizontally swung as the pipe is lowered to' place the same upon theplatform, said arm in its swin 'ng movement engaging the upper end 0 thepipe to direct the rack. I 2. In racking apparatus for racking pipe inoil well derricks, a platform upon the derrick floor for the receptionof the lower end of the pipe, a rack at the upper end of to place thesame upon the platform, said arm in its swinging movement engaging theupper end of the pipe to direct the same into said rack, and'meansnormally maintaining said arm at the opposite side of the center of thederrick from said platform.

3. In racking apparatus for racking pipe in oil well derricks, aplatform uponthe derrick floor for the reception of the lower end of thepipe, a rack at the upper end of the derrick for the reception of theupper end of the pipe, a horizontally swinging arm adjacent the upperend of the derrick, a flex-v ible element connected with the arm andhaving-in' its lower end means for engaging the lower end of a pipesection and guides for said flexible element whereby a downward pullupon the flexible element causes said arm to swing horizontally wherebywhen sa1d means is engaged with the lower end of apipe section and'thepipe section is lowered the arm shifts horizontally to engage the upperend of the pipe'section and direct the same into said rack.

D 4. In racking apparatus for racking pipe in 011 well derricks, aplatform upon the der-. rick floor for the reception of the lower end ofthe pipe, a rack at the upper end of the derrick for the reception ofthe upper end of the pipe, a horizontally swinging arm adjacent theupper end of the derrick, a flexible element connected with the arm andhaving in its lower end means forengaging the lower end of apipesection, guides for said flexible element whereby a downward pull uponthe flexible element causes said arm to swing horizontally whereby whensaid means isengaged with thelower end of a p pe section and thepipe'section is lowered t e arm shifts horizontally to engage the upperend of the pipe section and direct the same into said rack, and meansnormally.

with said thrust element and adapted for engagement with the lower endof a pipe section, a pull upon said flexible element shifting the thrustmember toward the rack.

6. In racking apparatus for racking pipe in oil well derricks, aplatform upon the derrick floor for the reception of the lower end ofthe pipe, a rack at the upper end of the derrick for the reception ofthe upper end of the pipe, a thrust element at the upper end of thederrick and shiftable toward and away from the rack, a flexible elementconnected with said thrust element and adapted for engagement with thelower end of a pipe section, a pull upon said flexible element shiftingthe thrust member toward the rack, and

means normally shifting the thrust member in the opposite direction. 7

7. In racking apparatus for racking pipe in oil well derricks, a supportfor the reception of the lower end of the pipe, a rack at the upper endof the derrick for the reception of the upper end of the pipe, a thrustmember operable to engage and direct the of the derrick and shiftabletoward and awayfrom the rack, a flexible element connected with saidthrust element, a pull upon said flexible element shifting the thrustmember toward the rack.

9. In racking apparatus for racking pipe in oil well derricks, aplatform upon the derrick floor for the reception of the lower end ofthe pipe, a rack at theupper end of the derrick for the reception of theupper end of the pipe, a thrust element at the upper end of the derrickand shiftable toward and away from the rack, a flexible elementconnected with said thrust element, a pull upon said flexible elementshifting the thrust.

member toward the rack, and means normally shifting the thrust member inthe opposite direction.

In testimony whereof I hereunto afiix my signature.

COLUMBUS MONROE GIDLEY.

